Summary
InOne Piece, more often than not, it feels as if power is everything. Oftentimes, the best leaders are the strongest, the biggest crews are led by the strongest leaders, and even the One Piece itself was hidden by someone who was considered the strongest pirate. With the Navy Admiral being decided through a fight between Sakazuki and Kuzan, or Luffy becoming the new Emperor after defeating Kaido in battle,One Pieceis a world full of powerful poeple. However, one character seems to break this trend of power. Despite being one of the weaker characters in the show, this character has not only risen through the ranks to the top of the world, but is also one of the few people who keep the dream of Roger alive in themodern world ofOne Piece. This character is, of course, Buggy the Clown, one of the first enemies that Luffy faced on his journey as a pirate.
Buggy Failed His Way to the Top of One Piece
Success From Suffering
Despite being a considerably weak character, especially compared to some ofOne Piece’sstrongest fighters,Buggy has risen through the ranks of the pirate world. After escaping Impel Down, Buggy, with a new reignited desire to become the king of pirates, manages together both a massive following and a position as a warlord. After making an uneasy alliance with Crocodile and Mihawk, called the Cross Guild, Buggy accidentally becomes the figurehead of the group, thrusting him into the position of Emperor.
Let’s go and take it! The One Piece is ours!
Out of any character becomingan Emperor inOne Pieceso far, Buggy has the most interestingjourney. As is the case with the other characters that grew to be an Emperor during the time of the series, Luffy and Blackbeard defeated two previous Emperors and filled in their positions. Buggy, on the other hand,became a massive threatto the Marines after implementing his own idea of the bounty system. After allying mhimself with two other dangerous pirates, Buggy becomes the Emperor to replace Big Mom through sheer charisma and marketing alone.
With a major idea of the series, which is explored in things likeOne Piece: Fan Letter, being that power controls the world, Buggy feels like an antithesis to this statement. Almost as much as the freedom of Luffy is an antithesis to the control the World Government imposes over the world, Buggy shows that power isn’t everything in theOne Pieceuniverse. Having a dream and being passionate is all someone needs to get ahead inOne Piece,and this idea is proven by Buggy himself.
Buggy Reignited His Own Passion and Dreams
Dreams are Important in One Piece
Before Buggy’s passions were reignited duringImpel Down arc, the character was stagnating. For most of pre-time skip, Buggy was abandoned by his crew on multiple occasions, defeated more than once by pirates and marines, and sent to the worst prison in all ofOne Piece. Imagining pre-Marineford Buggy as an Emperor of the Sea is almost laughable. At this point in the series, Buggy has no direction or goal and is only driven by a need for treasure.
You’re going to be the Pirate King? Then I’m God!
However, right after Buggy proclaims his desire to hunt for the One Piece and becomea contender to be theKingof the Pirates, it seems like Buggy couldn’t stop succeeding. With simply passion and a fair amount of charisma, Buggy was able to amass a large group of followers and successfully navigate the Paramount War. It’s unlikely that Buggy will receive any major power-ups by the end of One Piece, though from his passion and track record alone, many fans believe that Buggy has a chance of becoming the first person to get their hands on the One Piece.
Buggy proves inthe dangerous world ofOne Piecethat having passion and goals is more important than power. Although having power is helpful, passion is the reason why characters like Luffy and Blackbeard succeed. This is true for other weak characters like Usopp, who,despite being the weakest Straw Hat, continues to grow closer and closer to his dream of becoming a “brave warrior of the sea” every chapter. Buggy, and his accidental journey to Emperor, shows that even the weakest character inOne Piececan make it to the top of the world.
